People mattered.

It has taken most of February to recover from the biggest seed swapping event in Britain. It is the exception to Schumaker’s maxim that Small is Beautiful, though it is a practical study in economics as if people mattered. A record 1300 people paid only £1-50 to come into this, not for profit event, at Hove Town Hall with many more children and volunteer helpers coming in free.

HEAVENLY VIEW

One of the best places to see the event is enjoying a sedate coffee on the balcony as the maelstrom of the morning gives way to the civilised circulation of a Sunday afternoon.

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

The heart of the matter is not saving by swapping seeds or buying for a bargain 50p, but finding those locally grown rare heritage varieties and preserving them for posterity with others in Brighton.

READY, STEADY, SWAP

Helen, one of my allotment neighbours, laid out this beautiful display of all the seeds I had remembered to save on my Weald allotment site in 2009. The ranged from Black Sweet Corn to sunset Squashes, from Runner Beans to over ripe Radishes.

SEED TESTING

This is a simple way of testing the viability of older seeds that may not have been kept in ideal cool dry conditions. Sowing them on damp tissue in a tray covered in cling film and kept over the warmth of the back of a fridge works wonders. This shows seedlings emerging one week later.

SWAP TILL YOU DROP

There were hundred of varieties of seeds on display, guides on seed saving and small professional growers bringing along their specialist organic seeds and seedling.

CAMPAIGN FOR MORE ALLOTMENTS

There were over 50 side STALLS from the traditional tables advertising the wares of the allotment association, campaigning for more allotments to grown healthy food, to demonstrations of cooking local seasonal food.

You are what you eat..and more. Eat your own home grown food with Brighton imprinted all through the centre from the seediness to the savouring.

Brighton rocks with seedy Sunday.Do you?